Microsoft announced its enhanced Visio Templates page on Microsoft365.com on July 17, 2023. It gives Visio for the web users a more organized place to search or browse diagram templates, then either start with a blank diagram or open a sample. The announcement described faster loading and file creation, but published no figures or test method to quantify those improvements.
What changed on the Visio Templates page
The update focused on making Visio’s web starting point easier to navigate. Microsoft described a modern appearance consistent with Microsoft 365, improved accessibility and navigation, better organization of templates and sample diagrams, and performance improvements. Its announcement characterized loading and file creation as faster but did not provide timings, percentages, benchmarks, or measurement details. Microsoft’s July 17, 2023 announcement is therefore evidence of the claim, not a quantified performance result.
The page is a discovery and launch point for Visio web diagrams. It is not the same as creating a custom Visio template file in the desktop workflow, which involves making a drawing, adjusting its stencils, and saving it as a template. Microsoft documents that separate process in Create and use custom templates.
How do I find the template I need?
From the Visio homepage, select All templates to open the Templates homepage. Microsoft’s current support documentation also describes a More templates route in the web experience; interface labels can change over time. On the Templates page, search by keyword or browse the categories in the left navigation. Microsoft said search results update as you type.
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The six categories named in the announcement organize common diagram types:
| Category | Examples listed by Microsoft |
|---|---|
| General | Basic, block, Venn, cycle, pyramid, and business-matrix diagrams |
| Flowchart | Basic and cross-functional flowcharts, process diagrams, SDL, audit, and EPC diagrams |
| Organization Chart | Hierarchical organization charts |
| Network and Cloud Architecture | Basic and detailed network diagrams, plus Azure and AWS diagrams |
| Software and Database | Entity-relationship diagrams (ERDs) and UML diagrams |
| Infographics | Timeline and weekly-planner diagrams |
These names describe the categories and examples in Microsoft’s 2023 announcement; the templates available to a particular user can depend on their account and license. For the current web experience and account-related limitations, see Microsoft’s Overview of Visio for the web.
How do I create a blank drawing or open a sample?
Template cards offer two different starting points. Choose Create Blank to begin a new diagram on a blank canvas with relevant stencils pinned in the Shapes pane. Choose Explore More to open sample diagrams for that category and inspect a worked example. You can also select + New blank drawing to start without first choosing a template card.
- Open Visio from Microsoft365.com and go to All templates (or the currently displayed route to the template gallery).
- Browse a category or enter a keyword in Search templates.
- On the relevant card, select Create Blank for a blank canvas with the diagram type’s useful stencils, or Explore More to inspect samples. To start from scratch, select + New blank drawing.
Which templates and samples can I access?
Availability is not universal. Microsoft’s announcement specifically said the four new Organization Chart samples—Small Team Org Chart, Large Team Org Chart, Family Tree, and Small Restaurant Org Chart—were available to users with a Visio Plan 1 or Visio Plan 2 license. Other account or license limitations may also apply to templates and capabilities. Check the current Visio web documentation and the options shown in your account before relying on a specific sample.
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